Consuelo H. Wilkins, M.D.
I recently received an email from a good friend with a link to a story about black hair products and breast cancer. I normally would have deleted the message since I often get emails about health myths or questionable medical advice. However, given the source of the email, I decided to read it.
The story pointed out that a number of hair products targeted towards black women include estrogen or estrogen-like hormones. My first thought as a physician and researcher was- is there scientific validity to this story? My first thought as the mother of a 5-year old daughter was- am I exposing my daughter to potentially harmful products?
So I decided to search the medical literature. Now this is very different from just searching the web. Many websites have unreliable information that has not been reviewed by health professionals or scientists.
I search through Ovid Medline, but anyone can search the database for free through PubMed. The advantage of using these databases is the articles have been reviewed by health professionals and scientists.
So what did I find? I found several articles that discuss the risk of estrogen exposure and breast cancer and other articles documenting the higher use of estrogen containing personal care products among black women. None of the articles had data to support an association between hair products and breast cancer but several gave reasons for the possible link.
One article, published in Medical Hypothesis in 2007 and co-written by a notable researcher Dr. Devra Davis (a black woman), convincingly outlines the potential association between products containing estrogen and breast cancer.
The facts- ALL WOMEN ARE AT RISK FOR BREAST CANCER, which is why screening with mammograms is recommended for women starting at age 40, earlier if you have a family history. Although black women may be slightly less likely to develop breast cancer, they are more likely to die from it and more likely to develop breast cancer at an early age. In younger women, breast cancer is often more aggressive and less responsive to treatment.
There are a number of risk factors for breast cancer including exposure to estrogen. Estrogen exposure occurs naturally and is higher depending on early age of onset of menstruation, age at first pregnancy/birth, and being overweight (which increases naturally circulating estrogens). Of course, taking hormone replacement therapy increases exposure but it is unclear how much estrogen is absorbed in the body from hair or skin products containing estrogen.
Several reports found that estrogen or placenta containing products caused premature sexual development in infants and toddlers. Interestingly, using heat with these products may increase the body’s absorption. This leads one to wonder if the estrogen in these products increases breast cancer risk. It is also unclear what the benefit of having estrogen or other hormones in hair products is.
While it was obvious from the list that any product with hormones or placental extracts likely contained estrogens, some products use chemical names that could be hormonal. One product that stood out to me was B&B Super Gro. I know that I have used it previously but could not recall if I have used it on my daughter’s hair. A couple of years ago, I started using Carol’s Daughter hair products, not because of potential cancer risk but because it was recommended as a great line of products. I did not find any estrogens in these products.
So at the end of my ‘investigation’- It is unclear whether hair and skin products containing estrogen increase the risk of breast cancer, but more studies are needed.
Hopefully my comments don’t suggest that I am pushing a natural hair agenda. I believe that people should wear their hair any way they desire; however, consumers should know if products could be harmful to them. The take-home lesson: We should read the labels of what we put in our bodies and on our bodies.